U.S. patent number 4,944,419 [Application Number 07/349,325] was granted by the patent office on 1990-07-31 for compartmentalized refuse container.
Invention is credited to John W. Chandler.
United States Patent |
4,944,419 |
Chandler |
July 31, 1990 |
Compartmentalized refuse container
Abstract
In addition to a top opening, the container has at least one
pair of apertures in a side wall thereof, through one of which a
divider panel is removably inserted to form a false bottom for the
relatively top portion of the container. The other aperture serves
as an entry port for loading one type of refuse in the relatively
bottom portion of the container. The top portion is loaded with a
second type, meanwhile, through the top opening; and when the
container is to be emptied, the integrity of each type is preserved
by unloading the top portion first and then removing the panel to
expose the bottom portion of the container to the top opening.
Inventors: |
Chandler; John W. (Seattle,
WA) |
Family
ID: |
23371895 |
Appl.
No.: |
07/349,325 |
Filed: |
May 8, 1989 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
220/502; 220/529;
220/544 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65F
1/006 (20130101); B65F 2220/124 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
B65F
1/00 (20060101); B65D 001/24 (); B65D 025/06 () |
Field of
Search: |
;220/1T,20.5,22.1 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
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2546772 |
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Apr 1977 |
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DE |
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3625995 |
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Nov 1988 |
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DE |
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Primary Examiner: Marcus; Stephen
Assistant Examiner: Castellano; Stephen
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Duffy; Christopher
Claims
I claim:
1. In combination,
an elongated upright container for holding refuse and the like,
said container having a closed bottom, a sidewall structure
including a set of side walls upstanding about the bottom, and a
top opening defined by the upper edges of the side walls,
said container being adapted to be loaded and unloaded through said
top opening by a person standing to the sides of the container,
said side walls of the container defining a hollow bin for the
refuse between the closed bottom and top opening of the container,
and said bin having a pair of apertures therein which open through
the sidewall structure to the outside of the container at levels
below the top opening thereof,
a divider panel for forming a false bottom in the container,
one of said apertures being rectangular and disposed at an
intermediate level between the top opening and bottom of the
container, to form a horizontally extending slot for the divider
panel,
said divider panel being removably insertable in the bin through
the slot and said container having means disposed about the bin at
the level of the slot to support the panel crosswise of the bin at
said level,
the other of said apertures being disposed at a level relatively
below the slot and adapted to form an entry port for loading refuse
in the portion of the bin below the slot, whereby two types of
refuse can be loaded in the relatively top and bottom portions of
the bin, above and below the slot, segregated from one another by
the panel, and then the relatively top and bottom portions of the
bin can be separately unloaded through the top opening of the
container, to preserve the integrity of the respective types of
refuse, by unloading the relatively top portion of the bin through
the top opening, and then removing the panel through the slot to
open the relatively bottom portion of the bin to the top opening of
the container.
2. The combination according to claim 1 wherein the container has a
quadrilateral outline at the side walls.
3. The combination according to claim 1 wherein the panel support
means include a pair of cleats on the walls of the bin at the level
of the slot, forming ledges on which the panel rests when inserted
in the bin.
4. The combination according to claim 3 wherein the cleats are
opposed to one another across the bin and have grooves therein
which are co-planar with the slot, and wherein the panel is
slideably engageable in the slot, and the grooves, when inserted
into the bin through the slot.
5. The combination according to claim 1 wherein the container has a
lip projecting outwardly from the wall of the container at the one
side thereof, and below the port, to form a chute for receiving the
refuse to be loaded through the port for the relatively bottom
portion of the bin.
6. The combination according to claim 1 further comprising a lid
for forming a cover over the bin at the top opening of the
container, said lid being adapted to mate with the container about
the top opening thereof.
7. The combination according to claim 1 further comprising a handle
projecting from the operatively trailing edge of the panel for ease
in removing the panel from the bin through the slot.
8. The combination according to claim 1 wherein the side walls of
the container have an additional pair of apertures therein, one of
said additional apertures being rectangular to form a second
horizontally extending panel-accomodating slot therein at a second
level spaced above the aforementioned level of the first mentioned
slot and the other of said additional apertures being disposed in
the space between the first and second mentioned slots to form a
second entry port for loading refuse in the relatively bottom
section of the relatively top portion of the bin, there being a
second divider panel for removeable insertion in the second slot,
and means disposed about the bin at the level of the second slot to
support the second panel crosswise of the bin for division of the
bin into three relatively stacked compartments when the respective
panels are inserted therein.
9. The combination according to claim 1 wherein the container has
vertical side walls.
10. The combination according to claim 1 wherein the side walls of
the container are continuous and uninterrupted from the top opening
to the bottom thereof.
11. The combination according to claim 1 wherein the divider panel
is detachable from the container following the removal thereof from
the slot.
12. The combination according to claim 1 wherein the pair of
apertures are disposed on a common side of the container.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to a container for refuse or the like, and
especially household refuse. In particular, the invention relates
to a refuse container wherein two or more types of refuse can be
segregated from one another in the container, and then separately
unloaded from the container when the container is emptied. The
invention is especially useful in segregating recyclable and
non-recyclable refuse from one another, and if desired, segregating
two or more types of recyclable refuse from one another at the same
time as the recyclable is segregated from the non-recyclable.
BACKGROUND ART
Compartmentalized refuse containers are known, but they do not
enable the user to segregate two or more types of refuse in the
container, and then subsequently preserve the segregation as he
unloads the refuse from the container. For example, see U.S. Pat.
No. 1,226,634 to Briese wherein a divider panel is employed to
divide the interior of the container into two compartments, but
wherein no provision is made for separately loading and unloading
the compartments for the purposes mentioned. In U.S. Pat. No.
992,006, U.S. Pat. No. 4,739,849, U.S. Pat. No. 3,856,173 and U.S.
Pat. No. 3,720,346, compartmentalized containers are also shown,
but again no provision is made for separately loading and unloading
the compartments for the purposes mentioned.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention, an elongated upright container is
provided for holding refuse and the like, and the container has a
closed bottom, a sidewall structure including a set of side walls
upstanding about the bottom, and a top opening defined by the upper
edges of the side walls. The container is adapted to be loaded and
unloaded through the top opening by a person standing to the sides
of the container, and the side walls of the container define a
hollow bin for the refuse between the closed bottom and top opening
of the container. The bin has a pair of apertures therein which
open through the sidewall structure to the outside of the container
at levels below the top opening thereof. A divider panel is
provided for forming a false bottom in the container, and one of
the apertures is rectangular and disposed at an intermediate level
between the top opening and bottom of the container, to form a
horizontally extending slot for the divider panel. The divider
panel is removably insertable in the bin through the slot, and the
container has means disposed about the bin at the level of the slot
to support the panel crosswise of the bin at said level. Meanwhile,
the other of the apertures is disposed at a level relatively below
the slot, and adapted to form an entry port for loading refuse in
the portion of the bin below the slot. In consequence, when given
two types of refuse, the two types can be loaded in the relatively
top and bottom portions of the bin, above and below the slot,
segregated from one another by the panel, and then the relatively
top and bottom portions of the bin can be separately unloaded
through the top opening of the container to preserve the integrity
of the respective types of refuse, by unloading the relatively top
portion through the top opening and then removing the panel through
the slot to open the relatively bottom portion of the bin to the
top opening of the container.
In certain of the presently preferred embodiments of the invention,
the container has a quadrilateral outline at the side walls
thereof. The support means for the panel include a pair of cleats
on the walls of the bin at the level of the slot, and the cleats
form ledges on which the panel rests when inserted in the bin.
Preferably, the cleats are opposed to one another across the bin
and have grooves therein which are coplanar with the slot. The
panel is slideably engageably in the slot, and in the grooves, when
inserted in the bin through the slot. In addition, the container
has a lip projecting outwardly from the wall of the container at
the one side thereof, and below the port, to form a chute for
receiving the refuse to be loaded through the port for the
relatively bottom portion of the bin.
Preferably, the container is also equipped with a lid for forming a
cover over the bin at the top opening of the container, and the lid
is preferably adapted to mate with the container about the top
opening thereof, such as through the use of a depending skirt about
the perimeter of the lid.
Additionally, the operatively trailing edge of the panel preferably
has a handle projecting thereform for ease in removing the panel
from the bin through the slot.
In some embodiments of the invention, the container has an
additional pair of apertures in the sidewall structure thereof, one
of which additional apertures is rectangular to form a second
horizontally extending panel-accomodating slot therein at a second
level spaced above the aforementioned level of the first mentioned
slot. The other of the additional apertures is disposed in the
space between the first and second mentioned slots, to form a
second entry port for loading refuse in the relatively bottom
section of the relatively top portion of the bin. A second divider
panel is removably insertable in the second slot, and means are
disposed about the bin at the level of the second slot to support
the second panel crosswise of the bin. In this way, the bin is
effectively divided into three relatively stacked compartments when
the respective panels are inserted in the bin. This in turn enables
the refuse to be segregated in three separate portions, such as
where three different types of refuse are loaded into the
container.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These features will be better understood by reference to the
accompanying drawings which illustrate two of the presently
preferred embodiments of the invention.
In the drawings:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a lidded container
compartmentalized with a divider panel for the segregation of two
types of refuse therein;
FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the container, illustrating the
manner in which the divider panel and lid are removed
therefrom;
FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the container along
the line 3--3 of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a part cross-sectional view of the container along the
line 4--4 of FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a lidded container
compartmentalized with two divider panels for the segregation of
three types of refuse therein;
FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the same along the
line 6--6 of FIG. 5; and
FIG. 7 is an exploded view of the latter container, illustrating
the manner in which the pair of divider panels and lid are removed
therefrom.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that each container 2 or
2' has a closed bottom 4, a set of side walls 6 upstanding about
the bottom, and an opening 8 within the set of walls at the top
thereof. The container is adapted to be loaded and unloaded through
the top opening 8 by a person standing at one side 6' of the
container, and the side walls 6 of the container define a hollow
bin 10 between the closed bottom 4 and top opening 8 thereof, for
the refuse and the like (not shown) which is to be loaded and
unloaded in and from the same. However, the side walls 6 of the
container also have a pair of apertures 12 and 14 therein at the
one side 6' of the container, and a divider panel 16 is provided
for forming a false bottom in the container, with which to
segregate different types of refuse. One of the apertures, 12, is
horizontally rectangular and disposed at an intermediate level
between the top opening 8 and bottom 4 of the container, to form a
slot for the divider panel 16. The divider panel 16 is removeably
insertable in the bin 10 through the slot 12, and the container has
means 18 disposed about the bin at the level of the slot to support
the panel crosswise of the bin at said level. Meanwhile, the other
of the apertures, 14, is disposed below the slot 12 and adapted to
form an entry port for loading refuse in that portion 10' of the
bin below the slot. In this way, two different types of refuse can
be loaded in the relatively top and bottom portions 10" and 10' of
the bin, above and below the slot 12, segregated from one another
by the panel 16, and then the relatively top and bottom portions
10" and 10' of the bin can be separately unloaded through the top
opening 8 of the container, to preserve the integrity of the
respective types of refuse, by unloading the relatively top portion
10" through the top opening and then removing the panel through the
slot to open the relatively bottom portion 10' of the bin to the
top opening 8 of the container.
More specifically, the container 2 or 2' is square or rectangularly
cross-sectioned to have a quadrilateral outline at the side walls 6
thereof, and the support means 18 for the panel 16 include a pair
of cleats 20 on the walls of the bin 10 at the level of the slot
12. The cleats 20 form ledges on which the panel rests when
inserted in the bin, and commonly, the cleats 20 are opposed to one
another across the bin and have grooves 22 therein which are
coplanar with the slot. The panel, meanwhile, is slideably
engageable in the slot, and in the grooves 22, so as to be more
tightly securable in the bin when inserted through the slot.
In addition, the container 2, or 2' preferably has a lip 24
projecting outwardly from the wall of the container at the one side
6' thereof, and below the port 14, to form a chute 26 for receiving
the refuse to be loaded through the port for the relatively bottom
portion 10' of the bin.
Preferably, the container 2 or 2' is also equipped with a lid 28
for forming a cover over the bin 10 at the top opening 8 of the
container, and the lid 28 is preferably adapted to mate with the
container about the top opening thereof, such as through the use of
a depending skirt 30 about the perimeter of the lid.
Additionally, the operatively trailing edge 16' of the panel 16
preferably has a handle 32 projecting therefrom, for use in
removing the panel from the bin 10 through the slot 12.
In FIGS. 1-4, the container 2 has a single pair of apertures 12,14
in the wall at the one side 6' thereof. In FIGS. 5-7, the container
has an additional pair of apertures 34 and 36 in the wall at the
one side 6' thereof. One of the additional pair, 34, is rectangular
to form a second horizontally extending panel-accomodating slot at
a second level spaced above the aforementioned level of the first
mentioned slot 12. The other of the additional apertures, 36, is
disposed in the space between the first and second mentioned slots
12 and 34, to form a second entry port for loading refuse in the
relatively bottom section 10'" of the relatively top portion 10" of
the bin. A second divider panel 38 is removably insertable in the
second slot 34, and again, there are means 18 disposed about the
bin at the level of the second slot to support the second panel
crosswise of the bin. Given the two sets of apertures 12,14 and
34,36 and the pair of panels 16,38, the bin 10 is effectively
divided into three relatively stacked compartments 10', 10", 10' "
when the respective panels are inserted in the bin. This in turn,
enables the refuse to be segregated in three separate portions,
such as where three different types of refuse are loaded into the
container.
To illustrate, non-newspaper recyclable paper may be loaded in the
bottom section 10"" of the relatively top portion 10" of the bin,
and plastic, glass and metal cans, bottles and the like, may be
loaded in the relatively bottom portion 10' of the bin. The
remainder of the relatively top portion 10" of the bin is then
reserved for non-recyclable trash. This could be captured within a
paper or plastic bag (not shown) removably suspended in the top
portion from the rim 40 of the container, or it could be collected
on top of the panel 38 which, as indicated, functions as a false
bottom for the remainder of the top portion.
The lid 28 may be hinged or otherwise pivotally mounted on the rim
portion 40 of the container to be opened and closed by means of a
foot pedal (not shown) in conventional fashion.
* * * * *